Carriage Ride for One
by waterlilylf
Summary: Chapter two. Duo has a couple of hours, no money and one chance to plan the most perfect date in the universe. Luckily, he also happens to have a culinary-gifted friend and a horse-drawn carriage to hand...
1. Carriage Ride for One

Disclaimer – I don't own the GW characters and write purely for fun.

Note 1 – Many thanks to Kaeru Shisho for editing and encouraging.

Note 2 – Since I already have a rather large backlog of WIPs the only practical thing to do, really, was to start a new story. This was – ahem – intended to be a one-shot, but Duo is already clamouring for his own romance, so there will be one more chapter.

**Carriage Ride for One:**

'Swear to God, Tro,' Duo said earnestly, waving his coffee cup around so enthusiastically that he drenched a passing Japanese tourist. 'This guy and his girlfriend I picked up last night; they were like randy fucking weasels in the back of the carriage. I looked around to ask them if they wanted to stop at the Ha'penny Bridge for a photo, and they were at it like they were getting paid for it. Jesus! It's not a bit fair, is it? If you or I carried on like that, we'd be lynched, but straights get away with everything.'

Then he was off in full flood, while Trowa made the appropriate noises on the rare occasions when his friend paused to breathe. It wasn't that he didn't agree with what Duo was saying; far from it. He just didn't have Duo's compulsion to change the world, especially not at eight a.m., when he wasn't even a morning person.

It was a glorious morning though; even Trowa had to admit that. Spring in Dublin was beautiful. The chestnut trees in St. Stephen's Green were just coming into bright, glossy bud, and people were slowly starting to shed layers of Winter clothing. He could smell the park's flowers on the breeze, mixed with the rich scent of horse, and the life-preserving aroma of hot coffee.

Howard liked his carriages to be in place first thing in the morning, just in case someone decided they wanted a ride before breakfast, which they never actually did, so the first couple of hours on the job never involved anything more arduous than hanging around and making sure the horses were comfortable.

And listen to Duo, of course. He liked to talk, and didn't usually require too much audience participation, and Trowa liked to think about things, and didn't mind his friend making a bit of white noise in the background. He stopped talking about the injustice of the world, finally, and was back on his other favourite topic.

'Still not getting anywhere?' Trowa asked when Duo stopped rambling about what Heero had said in class the previous day, and what he'd worn, and the cute way he'd nibbled the end of his pen when he was bored with something the lecturer was saying.

Duo shrugged. 'I've decided that maybe in Japan glaring at people and refusing to interact with them is actually a way of showing you're attracted. Still, we're supposed to be working on a project this afternoon, so I'll have him all to myself for two hours and I'm wearing my lucky jeans. Maybe if I keep dropping stuff and bending down to get it, he'll finally crack.'

'I could make a really bad joke there,' Trowa mused, grinning at his friend. Duo had jumped out of his carriage and was doing sexy little wiggles. A couple of Howard's older drivers looked a bit disapproving; unlike them, Duo and Trowa wore jeans and leather jackets, instead of the regulation old-fashioned coachman's uniform of cloak and bowler hat that made you look like a total pillock.

Duo got away with it because he was Duo and got away with everything by being charming and cheeky and universally adored.

Trowa didn't have Duo's social graces, but he had a degree in history, and he loved his city, and loved talking about it. He could also coax any horse into good behaviour, and he saved Howie a fortune on vet's bills.

'Sod off, Barton.' Duo wandered around to talk to the horses, Shinigami turning around to whicker affectionately and nuzzle his pockets. Nanashi stamped one impatient hoof, and Duo gave the big bay a wide berth.

'Whoa, cute guy alert,' Duo whistled, jumping up to the running board of Trowa's carriage. 'He's a babe, isn't he? What's the betting he swings our way?'

'Doubtful.' Trowa didn't even bother to look up from the book he'd pulled out from under his seat. Duo firmly believed every attractive guy he met was gay, a testimony to his hardcore optimism. Dublin was hardly a Mecca for gays, not with Brighton and Amsterdam a short hop away by air. He'd driven same sex couples around on occasion, but they tended to be older, more interested in Dublin's cultural offerings than nightlife at the city's only gay pub.

'You could at least look,' Duo moaned and Trowa raised his eyes from the page and saw the most adorable little blond stroking Shinnie's neck.

'Told you so!' his best friend crowed cheerfully. 'I knew he'd be your type. And he's all on his own!'

'Probably waiting for his girlfriend.'

'Wotcher, Guv'nor,' Duo called out in a very bad imitation of a Cockney accent. It was one of his quirks; he tried to adopt a different accent every day when dealing with customers, just to see if any of them noticed he was taking the piss.

The blond guy didn't seem to notice at all, smiling as Shin nuzzled his jacket. A cute guy who liked horses. Fancy that. And he _was_ megally cute; a nice body in jeans and a blue fleece, topped off with that sunlit blond hair. He laughed softly as the big horse snorted at him, and then reached out one hand to touch Nash's neck.

'I wouldn't do that,' Trowa called. 'He bites.'

'All right.' Blondie prudently removed his hand, still not looking around.

Nice voice with an odd accent. And sensible enough to do as he was told around strange animals, which not everyone was.

'Hey, Mister!' Duo sang out. 'Fancy a ride? My friend's free for the morning.'

'Duo!' Trowa hissed. 'Shut it.'

'What?' Huge, violet eyes blinked at him, full of wounded innocence. 'I was just asking a question.'

Giving one last pat to Shin's muzzle, Blondie turned around to face them.

'Is it possible to hire a carriage? I don't just want to do the tourist circuit around town.'

Trowa started to rattle off the prices for thirty minutes and an hour. Shit, the guy was just gorgeous. He had the most kissable mouth ever, and eyes the blue-green colour of sea-foam in sunlight.

'I'd like to go somewhere quiet, without people, for a couple of hours. Can you take me somewhere like that?'

Duo sniggered, and received a sharp elbow to the ribs.

Trowa considered. 'There's the Phoenix Park on the other side of the city. It'll cost you though.'

'I don't care about the money. I just need to get something from my hotel. Can you wait a minute?'

Duo would have said something clever about how he'd been waiting his whole life and he could hang on another minute or so.

Trowa just nodded. 'Yeah. But I can drive you there.'

'No, that's all right. I'm just staying over there.' He nodded across the road at the imposing façade of the Shelbourne Hotel. 'I'll be right back.'

'Score!' Duo whistled as they both watched the slender young man hurry across the road. 'Hot, loaded _and_ single.'

'You don't know that. Maybe he's gone to get his girlfriend.'

'He said he had to get _something_, not _someone_,' Duo argued. 'Jeez, Tro, you don't know when you're well off.'

'Why?' Trowa demanded with a bit more bitterness than he'd intended. Duo was the person he was closest to in the world, but that didn't mean they never got on each other's nerves. 'Because I get to have a good looking, almost-certainly straight guy in the carriage for an hour or so? Even if he is gay, by some miracle, there's no way that someone like that could be single, and he's probably only in Dublin for a day or so, and he wouldn't be into someone like me anyway.'

Duo gave him one of those cocky, aggravating grins. 'Not that you like him or anything. And he picked you out of a whole line up of drivers. To take him to a beautiful, secluded place for a couple of hours. I'd say you're in there.'

'Fuck off.' Trowa picked up the reins and clicked his tongue and drove Nash across the road to park outside the hotel. Blondie took long enough for Trowa to indulge in a little fantasy about a wealthy lord who had a thing for his coachman, and then to wonder if the blond had changed his mind or found something more interesting to do.

The hotel porters were starting to give him disapproving looks – cluttering up their lovely part of the road – when Blondie came running down the steps.

'I'm sorry to have kept you waiting,' he apologised, which was nice. Most people didn't bother, specially not the uber-rich ones. 'I had to make some telephone calls.'

'That's OK.' Trowa opened the carriage door with a flourishing bow, meaning that his head was on the perfect level to get a great view of Blondie's ass as he stepped inside. Duo's voice in his head was supplying all kinds of pick-up lines.

Because it was what most people wanted, he pointed out places of interest as they set off down Dawson Street towards Trinity College. Blondie made a couple of polite, monosyllabic responses, and then rather shyly said that while it was all very interesting, he really just needed some time to think if that was all right.

It was cool actually. Trowa wasn't used to people in his life who weren't jabbering on all the time. His two best friends, Duo and Zechs, never shut up, and his sister could talk for Ireland. For most of Europe, on a good day. It was nice not having to do the tourist spiel for once.

He took the shortest route to the Phoenix Park, driving along the Quays, since it was still just that bit early to have too much traffic. Blondie never said anything, apparently sunk in whatever problem he was trying to sort out in his head.

As they drove under the park gates, Nash tossed his head impatiently, fighting the bit, and trying to break into a faster trot. On really quiet days, he and Duo took the horses out here for exercise, and sometimes raced them, even though they weren't officially allowed to. Not by Howard or the park officials.

'Hey.' Trowa twisted around to look at his passenger. 'D'you mind if I let the horse go a bit faster? Just to stretch his legs?'

The blond head nodded, without looking up. So much for him needing quiet time to sort his life out; he was tapping away at a nifty little hand-held computer. Duo would have been drooling over it. Trowa didn't get why he hadn't just stayed in his hotel if he had to work.

People were weird, even the hot blond ones.

He gave Nash a wholly unnecessary tap with the whip, and the horse sprang forward. This early on a weekday, they had the road pretty much to themselves and Trowa gave Nash his head for a mile or so before pulling him up.

'Oh, that was fun!' Blondie had put the computer away, finally, or maybe it had fallen out. He didn't seem to care, either way. He looked amazing, leaning forward with an actual smile on those lush lips, and a delicious splash of bright colour on each cheek.

Who'd have thought it? Another speed freak.

'This is a lovely place.' He looked around, apparently charmed by the avenue of trees with branches meeting overhead. 'So green.'

Trowa grinned, guiding the carriage away from the main road down one of the smaller trails, giving Nash time to cool off. 'Yeah, people say that sometimes.' He pulled the horse to a halt. 'Here. You wanted somewhere quiet. This do?'

'It's perfect.' The blond took a deep breath, taking in his surroundings. Picture postcard pretty; with drifts of bluebells smothering the ground under the luxuriant chestnut trees. 'I can't believe there's somewhere like this right in the city.'

'Largest public park in any other European city,' Trowa said proudly and quite automatically, and just stopped himself in time from adding in all the bumf about how there was a zoo, and a city farm, and a herd of wild deer.

'Do you think I could get out and walk for a little while?'

'No problem. Have fun.'

Blondie gave him an odd little look, as if fun were some sort of alien concept and then jumped out without waiting for Trowa to set the carriage steps in place. He didn't actually go very far, just wandered over to the nearest stand of trees and sat on a log.

Trowa loosened Nash's girth, and gave him some water, and draped a blanket over him, and then found another blanket to sit on and got out his book. He had a meeting with his tutor scheduled for the end of the week, and was used to snatching odd moments between jobs to work.

'Um, excuse me?' A soft voice tore him away from Viking raids on Irish monasteries. 'I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I was just wondering what those blue flowers are called.'

'Bluebells,' Trowa put the book down.

'Bluebells,' Blondie repeated. 'They're beautiful.'

'Yeah. They're just wild flowers but I like them.' Trowa broke off one and handed it to him. 'Here, smell.'

Those blue eyes widened in pleasure; a few shades lighter than the flower in his hand. Fuck the stupid coachman fantasy. He had a whole new one; the blond naked and sprawled in a patch of bluebells.

Bad, bad thoughts.

Trowa carefully moved the book over his lap but Blondie was still happily flower-sniffing.

'Thank you for taking me here. I've never seen a place like this before.'

'They don't have parks where you come from?'

'Sanque,' he supplied. 'And, yes, of course there are parks. But they're all very formal. Even the flower beds are…regimented, I supposed.'

'Flowers planted by height and colour scheme?' Trowa grinned as the blond nodded, making a face. OK, they both liked horses and disliked overly formal landscapes.

'I've got a friend from Sanque,' Trowa said, since Blondie had started the conversation going, 'Never been there though.'

'It's not really a tourist destination.' He carefully tucked the flower into the top pocket of his jacket and Trowa suddenly realised he was shivering in his light fleece.

'Hey, sit down. I'll get you a blanket from the carriage. You should have said you were cold.'

'I'm fine.' He dropped down to sit cross-legged, and gave Trowa a grateful little smile as the tartan rug was draped over his shoulders. It was tempting to let his hands linger for a minute, making sure the rug was in place. Trowa resisted it.

'I thought it would be warmer in April.'

'Weather's a bit unpredictable here. You fancy a coffee?'

'I would,' Blondie informed him, apparently in all seriousness, 'sell my soul for some.'

Trowa laughed, rummaging under the carriage seat for his flask and an extra plastic beaker. 'I don't want your soul.'

_The rest of you, sure. _

Quatre had picked up his book by the time he got back. 'Is this is Irish? Gaelic, I mean?'

'That's right.' Trowa poured them both coffee. It probably wasn't what his blond companion was used to, given that he was staying in Dublin's most luxurious hotel, but he seemed happy enough with it. 'It's an account of a raid on an Irish monastery in Waterford. The original is in Latin, which was what all educated people wrote back then, but it's kind of cool reading in the language people actually spoke. '

'Are you studying history?'

'Part time, yeah. Ph.D.'

Blue eyes widened. Presumably, in wealthy Sanque, university students didn't have part time jobs. 'Wow. What are you going to do when you finish? Research or teaching?'

'No idea. I'm not sure if either of them really appeals that much.' He grinned at the look on the blond's face. 'I'm waiting to find something that really interests me.'

In the meantime, driving a carriage paid the rent and food bills; two nights a week playing the flute in a band provided money for treats, and at the end of the month he sometimes busked on Grafton Street or worked construction for a couple of days if things were tight.

The blue eyes, watching him as he said all that, were on the far side of incredulous.

'Goodness, I can't imagine living like that. Isn't it scary, not having a secure job?'

Trowa shrugged. 'I always have enough to get by. I can work extra hours if I need to buy something special. I've never really seen money as being the be all and end all.' Duo was the one who was determined to make his fortune; a result of his appallingly deprived childhood. 'What do you do?'

'Investment banking.'

Trowa tried to think of something positive to say about that and failed. He couldn't think of anything worse than being stuck in an office all day looking at numbers. 'I've probably just committed blasphemy by your standards then, saying money's not that important.'

'Not really. I like having security, but what I like about my job is the challenge. Finding the best opportunities for people's money.'

'Is that what you always wanted to be?'

Quatre grinned at him. 'Not exactly. I don't think anyone ever wants to be a banker as a child. But I'm good at maths, so I took a business degree, and then got offered a job in banking after I'd graduated.'

'You're happy with that?'

'Sometimes. Well, I used to be. I'm not sure any more; it was what all my friends did. What you were supposed to do.'

'More to life than work, though. I always think you should work to live, not live to work.' Trowa took a sip of blessed, life-enhancing coffee. There; something else they both evidently had in common; Blondie looked like his first sip was a religious experience.

'This is very good. Thank you, Howard.'

'Sorry? Oh, right. You saw the name on the carriage; Howard's my boss.'

'This isn't your own horse then?'

''Fraid not.' It was a typical tourist fantasy; they all imagined Trowa taking Nash home at the end of a long day to a pretty little cottage and probably snuggling up in bed. Reality was the cheap-as-piss flat he shared with Duo in Rathmines, Dublin's student ghetto.

'My name's Trowa.'

'I'm Quatre Raberba Winner.' He had one hand politely held out, like they were meeting at some sort of official reception.

'Nice to meet you, Quatre Raberba Winner.' He had cold hands, smaller than Trowa's. The nails looked liked they'd been professionally manicured, rather than bitten off if they got too long, and he surprisingly had a couple of calluses on the fingers of his right hand.

'You feeling better now?'

Blondie – no, Quatre – nodded. 'Yes, thank you. This is perfect. Just what I needed.'

'Everyone needs a bit of space sometimes, right? If you don't mind me saying, you looked pretty down earlier.'

'Yes. Well.' He gazed into the depths of the pink plastic cup in his hand. 'As you said, I needed a little bit of space. I do hope I wasn't rude to you; I just wasn't in the mood to talk.'

'You weren't rude. It was nice for me not having to do the whole touristy commentary. And you're on holiday; you should get to do just what you fancy.'

Or who.

Ahem.

'I'm not actually on holiday. I've moved here.' He looked as if he might burst into tears at the thought of it.

'Don't mind me saying, but you don't sound all that happy about it.'

'I'm not.'

'You can tell me about it, if you want.'

Quatre did a cute little thing where he shrugged and nodded and waggled the fingers of his free hand. 'Oh, I don't know. I just needed to leave Sanque, and this was the first job I was offered and I accepted without even thinking about it, and now I'm in a strange city where I don't know anybody and everything's _different _and I can't even understand people's accents half the time and I've left my family and friends behind and maybe it was all a huge mistake.'

'Well, you'll make friends when you start work, right?'

'I somehow doubt I'll be very popular at work. My new job will involve finding ways to cut costs; I'll probably have to make people redundant.'

'Ouch. Yeah, they'll hate you all right. So why did you leave Sanque?'

'My last relationship was an utter disaster and I just wanted to get away after we split up.'

'Ouch again.' Somewhere in the middle of all the angst and confusion and misery, Quatre pulled out a little smile. Good, he had a sense of humour. 'What did …they do?' he used the pronoun carefully. He was pretty sure, actually, that Quatre did swing his way; there'd been a couple of little covert glances in his direction when he thought Trowa wasn't looking. He wasn't 100% certain though, and it wouldn't do to insult a customer.

'_He_,' Quatre said defiantly, 'got engaged to my sister. As you say, _Ouch_.'

'Sorry. If it's any help, the guy's clearly insane to turn you down for a girl.'

'Thank you.' Quatre blushed faintly. 'I liked him rather a lot, unfortunately. Silly me.'

'Stupid him,' Trowa corrected. It sucked that Quatre had been hurt, but on the other hand, he was gay and available and even though he presumably wouldn't be rushing headlong into another relationship, Trowa could wait.

'You're better off without an asshole who'd treat you like Dublin's not the worst place. What sort of thing do you like doing, when you're not making money and firing people?'

'I don't make a habit of firing people!' Quatre snapped. He was cliché-cute when he got mad; .blue eyes blazing and lovely wild rose colour in his cheeks. Then he swallowed. 'Sorry, Trowa. I'm dreading the thought of having to do that to people, so it's a rather sensitive subject. What do I _like_ doing? I read a lot and I and I love music.'

'D'you play?'

'Piano and violin.'

'I play the flute. I play trad sessions in a pub in Temple Bar a couple of nights a week. You could come along if you're interested. Bring your violin. It's most fiddly diddly stuff for tourists but it's fun, mostly. I can introduce you to some friends of mine. It'd get you out of your fancy hotel room for a few hours.'

'I'd really like that.' He looked absurdly touched by the invitation. 'You're right. I got here almost a week ago, and I've been pretty much locked up in my room. I do need to get out and meet people.'

'You need to eat too, right? Want to come and have dinner with me first?'

'That,' Quatre said happily, 'would be wonderful.'

'Ah, you do get this is a date, right?' Trowa checked, making sure. Duo was always saying he came across as far too subtle.

The blond laughed for the first time. 'Yes, I do get that, thank you. And I'd love to go out with you.'


	2. Carriage Ride for Two

Disclaimer: I don't own the GW universe and make no monetary profit from writing.

Note: This is for Maskelle, with best wishes for her Big Irish Adventure. Many thanks to Kaeru Shisho for editing.

**Carriage Ride for Two:**

He _wasn't_ late, Duo thought resentfully, slinging his backpack off his shoulder. They'd agreed to meet in the library at four and it wasn't even ten to. There was no reason whatsoever for Heero to glare at him like that, except that it was pretty much his usual 'Duo-watching' expression.

To make matters worse, Heero's friend Wufei – a founder member of the Pissy Asian Students Union – was there too, wearing a similarly disapproving expression. Duo kind of liked Wufei; he was one of those guys who elevated geekiness to such heights that it was actually cool, but the feeling wasn't exactly reciprocated.

'Goodbye, Heero.' Wufei stood up, gathering his books. 'I'll see you later.' Duo got a brief nod of acknowledgement.

Duo shook his head as the Chinese man stalked off. 'Jesus. Does that guy _never_ look happy?'

'When he has something to look happy about,' Heero said curtly.

'Yeah, well, we've all got problems,' Duo muttered. It wasn't like his twenty-three years on Earth had been all that peachy, but he didn't go around looking like his whole family had been killed. 'Course, that was maybe because he'd never had a family to _be_ killed, but still. It was the principle; no point in moping around and spreading the misery.

He found a spare space among Heero's papers and switched on his laptop. It was old and took a few minutes to power up. Heero, naturally, had the sweetest, sleekest offering from Apple and he'd never let Duo so much as touch it.

Asshole.

Not that he'd ever let Duo touch _that_ either.

Still, Duo was naturally, determinedly optimistic. Given the life he'd lived, he'd had to be. And they'd been assigned a project together that would probably take a week or so, which meant lots of time together, and maybe even getting to be friends, if nothing else.

Everyone _else_ liked him. Howard had practically adopted him, and his two best friends were Trowa and Zechs so he obviously had _some_ sort of appeal for the brooding, silent types. All except Heero Yuy, apparently.

'Here.' Heero shoved an A4 print-out across the table.

'Thanks. What is it?'

'A list of the topics I've assigned to you.'

'What?' Duo cast his eyes down the page; oddly, they were the ones he would have chosen himself, but that wasn't the point. 'How come _you_ get to decide that?'

Heero shrugged, a simple gesture that he somehow made sexy. Of course, he made everything sexy. Glaring, rolling those amazing eyes, telling Duo to go away and leave him alone. 'You couldn't even be bothered to turn up on time. I assumed you weren't interested in any of this.'

'What the _hell_ are you talking about?' Duo demanded. 'We agreed to meet here at _four_.' He slapped the library table for emphasis and got disapproving looks from the few other students who were indoors on a lovely June afternoon.

'Yes, and I told you that my last class finished at two so I'd get here early. The logical assumption was that if you were remotely interested, you'd be here also.'

'Heero, I _told_ you I had to work this afternoon. I told you I wouldn't get here 'til four.'

'Oh, well, if your part-time job is more important that your education, I think that says it all, doesn't it?'

'Yeah, I'm a total layabout,' Duo muttered. 'I have this stupid attachment to earning money so I can afford food and rent and stuff like that. Anyway, whatever. We're supposed to be doing this paper _jointly_, as in co-operating. Team work, if you've ever heard of that.'

Partners even, he thought wistfully.

It was stupid. He'd been so happy when Professor Noin had read out the pairs who'd been assigned to work together. He and Heero had done a paper together for another class a few months ago, and they'd spent a whole afternoon together. Even though Heero hadn't accepted Duo's invitation to go for coffee after, he'd thought about it for a second or two before refusing, which was progress.

'We are doing it jointly,' Heero said. 'I've divided the sections equally.'

'What if our answers overlap?'

'They shouldn't, assuming you write concisely and don't waffle.'

'Yes, sir. Right. That's it, then?'

Heero nodded. 'If you have any questions, you can email me. I thought we could meet up on Saturday afternoon to read each other's work so far. Perhaps at five?'

Well, that was oddly diplomatic for him. Of course, what he meant was that he wanted to check that Duo's answers were up to standard. And of _course_, he wanted to spend all day Saturday in the library.

'OK. But can we make it a bit earlier? Maybe four? I'm going out that night.'

'Fine.' He gave one brief nod, and dived back to his laptop.

God, he was such a git. A gorgeous one, though. And he had a smile that changed his forbidding looks totally, and Duo was utterly obsessed with how it would feel to run a finger through that spectacularly messy hair, and then down his neck, and down and down and…

'Um, if you're not doing anything, you could come along, after we finish up.' He blurted it out, because he was Duo, and that was what he did, and damnit, _everyone_ else liked him, and it wasn't bloody _fair_ that Heero Yuy should be immune. 'A couple of friends of mine are playing a gig in Temple Bar. It's all trad stuff, if you're into that, but it's to raise money for a kids' charity.'

'No, thank you.' He didn't even bother to look up as he spoke.

Duo still fumbled in his pocket for a flier and moved to stand behind Heero's chair, dangling the piece of coloured paper in front of his face. Anything to get him to look up. 'You can take this. Just in case you change your mind.'

'I _said_, I'm not interested.' And then he actually moved his chair a couple of inches to the left, away from Duo.

'What the _hell_ is your problem?' Duo snapped, stung. He'd had a shower before leaving the stable so he didn't stink, and it wasn't like he was radioactive or something; proximity to him wouldn't contaminate the Japanese student. 'Why don't you just tell me, Yuy, what is it about me that pisses you off so much? I know you're gay, and yeah, maybe I've flirted with you a little bit. That's not a crime, as far as I know. Why don't you just tell me _exactly_ why I'm so damn repulsive to you?'

Heero levelled one of those killer glares at him. 'You're unprofessional and disrespectful and you never take _anything_ seriously and you treat the universe like it's a joke specially created to make you laugh.'

'Oh.' Duo fumbled his computer and books into his bag, shoving his chair back so fiercely it probably made grooves in the floor. 'Well, I'm sorry I ever damn bothered with you. Sorry that I tried to be friendly to someone who was in a strange country and maybe needed someone to talk to. My fucking mistake.'

_Bastard._

Duo hands were actually shaking as he fastened the clips on his bag. He hadn't done a single thing to deserve that sort of treatment.

He _wasn't_ unprofessional, whatever Yuy said. Maybe he liked to joke around a bit but he worked damn hard. For God's sake, he was doing a Masters in Computer Science at Ireland's most prestigious university. He aced every test and assignment _and_ held down a couple of part-time jobs. If he found time in all of that to have a social life as well, surely that wasn't a bad thing?

He was every _bit_ as committed and professional as Heero fucking Yuy was; more probably. Heero came from money. He'd been to an exclusive boarding school in Switzerland where he'd learned rich-kid stuff like fencing and horse-riding and how to look down his perfectly straight nose at anyone who hadn't enjoyed those privileges.

He hadn't grown up on the streets and had to fight for everything he got. Duo Maxwell was going to make a future for himself, a good one, and it didn't have to include jerks like this.

'Duo.'

He was halfway down the stairs to the ground floor, when he heard Heero coming after him.

'Screw you,' he yelled back. 'If you've got any more insults you forgot to throw at me, just send an email.'

'Duo! Just wait! Please.'

Fuck, he was fast when he wanted to be. He caught up with Duo on the first landing, actually reaching out to put one hand on his sleeve.

'I don't want to hear it,' Duo hissed. 'Get your hands off me. I'm surprised you can bring yourself to touch someone as repulsive as me.'

'I don't…think that. Not at all,' Heero breathed. 'I'm sorry. I'm no good at talking to people. I never say the right thing.'

'No,' Duo agreed. 'That's sure as hell true. You're completely disastrous.' Then his brain processed what Heero had stumblingly admitted. 'You like me?'

Heero nodded.

'Why the fuck didn't you say so, instead of treating me like dirt?'

'There wasn't any point. There isn't. You have a boyfriend. I thought you were just teasing me all along. You joke around with everyone. I never thought you meant any of it.'

'Shit. Are you retarded or something?' Duo demanded bluntly. 'I don't have a boyfriend.'

Heero goggled at him. 'Yes, you do.'

'Do not! I think it's something I'd know.'

'That guy from the history department. The one who's always hanging around you. Wufei told me you two are together.'

'Then Wufei's insane.' Actually, that was probably true. He'd been thrown out of the Historical Re-enactment Society for demanding real swords and leeches and he'd registered an official complaint about Professor Khushrenada, who was Head of the History Department, for spelling a name wrong during a lecture.

'Trowa's not my boyfriend. He's my best friend and we share a flat but that's it.' Heero's hand, amazingly, was still on his arm. It was like a butterfly alighting; something rare and magical. He could feel the warmth of Heero's golden skin.

'Really?'

'Really. Seriously, you like me?'

'Yes.' A simple one syllable word that made the world shine.

'Come out with me,' Duo offered impulsively. 'Tonight. Just see how it goes. Maybe we'll hate each other after the first ten minutes and then there won't be a problem.'

'There will be a serious problem if you decide you hate me.'

Duo grinned. 'Can't really see that happening. I've been into you for months and you've been a total prick. No way am I going to change my mind because you're nice to me for a change. I'll pick you up. Just text me where you live. Seven o'clock?

'Yes. All right.' Heero looked stunned by this turn of events; more so when Duo grabbed him and planted a quick kiss on his mouth.

'God, I've wanted to do that for months. See you at seven.'

Duo cycled home like the hounds of hell were after him. _Shit_. He had less than three hours to plan the most perfect date in the universe, hardly any money and one chance of winning Heero. OK, realistically he knew that was a bit melodramatic. If Heero liked him, really liked him, one less than stellar evening together wouldn't exactly change his mind. It didn't want to stop him wanting to plan a seriously no-holds-barred romantic night for the two of them.

Quatre's car was parked outside their house, like it had been for the past couple of months, and Quatre himself was in the kitchen. He hadn't officially moved in as such; he had a snazzy apartment down by the docks and he and Trowa stayed there the odd night, but he spent most of his time in their shabby basement flat.

Trowa had given him his own key, after checking with Duo that that was OK. As far as Duo was concerned, it was just fine. Presumably one day, they'd want their own place, but for now the three of them got on like nobody's business.

It wasn't like Tro hadn't brought home other boyfriends. Sometimes, they'd even stayed for a bit, but eventually they got tired of Trowa adopting every stray or injured animal in the neighbourhood, and wanting to spend every spare minute poking around Dublin's older crypts and cemeteries. That or they got jealous of the fact that Duo and Trowa were practically joined at the hip, in every way except sexually.

Quatre had been different from the start, fitting in as if he'd been there forever. He brought home gourmet pet food and was more than happy to explore the more obscure parts of Dublin with Trowa as an escort and guide. Plus he and Duo had become friends from the word go, and enjoyed spending time together even if Trowa wasn't around.

The blond was fussing over something on the stove; another definite bonus to him being around. He loved to cook, even if he wasn't that great about clearing up afterwards.

'Hi, Duo! Taste this!' He whirled around, wooden spoon in hand, and Duo had to grin. When Quat had left for work that morning, he'd been wearing a tailored suit, and shiny polished shoes, with his hair carefully combed. Now, he had on one of Trowa's old t-shirts, liberally spattered with flour and grease stains, and there was some sort of red sauce in his messy hair. 'I thought you weren't going to be home tonight.'

'Change of plan.' Duo licked the spoon. 'That's yummy. I've got a date, Quat! With Heero!'

'No! _Really_? Tonight? Wow! What happened? Tell me all about it! Are you excited? That's marvellous!'

'It's insane! I'm picking him up in two hours and I haven't a clue where to take him, or what to do, or anything.'

'I'm sure he just wants to spend time with you.' Quatre was starry-eyed with the romance of it all. 'Dinner somewhere nice and quiet so you can get to know each other.' He clicked his tongue. 'My horoscope _said_ today was going to be especially romantic, not just for me but for my friends, and it's always true, whatever Trowa says.'

'Why's today romantic for you?' Duo pulled himself on to the counter top and dipped one finger in the sauce. It was delicious. Duo couldn't see why Quatre wasted his time working in that bank of his when he could cook like that.

'It's our three month anniversary,' Quatre said proudly. 'That's why I'm making all this food. I thought we could stay in and have a carpet picnic – it's all finger food – and watch some old black and white films.'

'Quatre,' Duo breathed, an idea stirring. 'I don't suppose I could maybe take a couple of things, if you've got any extra…'

'Of course you can! Trowa and I can order a pizza or something. And I bought a lovely wicker picnic basket and I've got champagne, and chocolate truffles.'

'No,' Duo said suddenly. 'That's not fair, Quat. You must've spent hours doing all of this. I can't ask you to give up your special evening.'

'Don't be silly! I offered, and I know Trowa would say exactly the same.' He bent down to have a quick look in the oven and then gave Duo one of those blinding smiles.

'Tell me all about it. Where are you going to take him? Do you want to take my car?'

'No, thanks. I'm going to call Howard and see if I can borrow a carriage for a couple of hours and take him for a drive 'round the city. D'you think that sounds OK?'

'I think it sounds wonderful. It's such a lovely evening and there's a full moon.' He sighed happily. 'You like him a lot, don't you?'

'Yeah.' Duo sighed. He'd liked Heero from the first moment he'd seen him, standing outside the main gate of Trinity College and juggling a laptop bag and a pile of books and a giant cup of coffee.

He'd just been exotic eye candy that first time, then they'd been assigned the same tutor, and a few shared tutorials. Heero wasn't just smart as hell; he was always the first one to offer help to anyone who needed it and, like Duo, he volunteered at the Computer Club and the LGBT society. He had a dry sense of humour and they'd had a few casual conversations; enough for Duo to know that they had a fair amount in common.

'I like him a lot,' he told Quatre.

'Then,' his friend said firmly, 'we need to plan the most perfect first date imaginable.'

'Well, second, sort of,' Duo grinned. 'We had that coffee date last month.'

'That wasn't a date!' Quatre gave his sauce a vigorous stir and earned himself a couple more red splashes. 'You bumped into him as he was coming out of the Kylemore and made him spill his drink all over himself!'

'Was so a date,' Duo argued. 'There was coffee, and a bit of yelling, and he had to change his clothes after we were done. Speaking of changing, I'd better go and get ready and I have to call Howard. Thanks for everything!'

Of course, once he'd mentioned clothes Quatre abandoned his cooking and came upstairs. He sat on Duo's bed and offered advice, and armloads of clothes to borrow. It was nice. Trowa was Duo's best friend, and the closest thing he'd ever had to family, but he wasn't so great at this sort of stuff.

It took almost an hour to find the perfect outfit. His own favourite jeans, which he'd caught Heero eyeing covertly a time or two, and a borrowed shirt and jacket. By the time he'd showered and dressed, Quatre had packed up the picnic hamper, and offered to drive him to Stephen's Green to collect the carriage.

Heero's apartment block turned out to be near Quatre's, and Heero himself was standing outside, looking at his phone.

'I'm not late,' Duo called, pulling Shinigami to a halt. 'I _told_ you, seven o'clock.'

'I know.' Heero looked up and his surprised expression changed to a soft, little smile as if they were sharing a private joke. 'I've been scared you'd change your mind.'

He was nervous too, Duo realised, jumping down from the carriage. He hadn't had a chance to think about nerves while he was dashing around sorting things out, but driving the carriage to where Heero lived, there'd been time.

'Nope. No mind-changing here. So, ah, your carriage awaits, I guess.'

Heero shook his head. 'I didn't imagine you'd do anything like this. You didn't have to go to all this trouble.'

'No trouble. This is Shinigami, by the way. No, I wouldn't pet him if I were you. He's not great with strangers. Now, here you are, my lord!' He swung open the carriage door, and bowed low.

'I'd rather sit up on the box with you, if you don't mind?'

'Great.' He climbed up, reaching a hand down to Heero to help him up. Any excuse.

Heero settled himself and coughed a couple of times. God, hopefully he wasn't allergic to horses.

'I … don't have a lot of practice at this sort of thing,' he said finally.

'No, I guess there aren't a lot of horse-drawn carriages in Tokyo,' Duo agreed, clicking his tongue for Shinnie to walk on.

'Not that. The whole dating thing.'

'Oh. Right. I don't either, actually. I mean, there's not that much of a gay scene in this city, and I never seem to have time anyway, what with work and study and stalking this snarky Japanese guy I'm not even sure is all that into me.'

'I am.' Heero's fingers were suddenly curled around Duo's free hand. It felt nice.

'I'm glad.'

'I'm sorry I wasn't very friendly to you, before. I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I thought you were with someone, but you were flirting with me, and I just couldn't get you to leave me alone, whatever I did.' He said the last bit so forlornly that Duo had to laugh.

'Yeah, well, sometimes it was better having you glaring at me than ignoring me. I like you, you know. You don't have to be nervous. I mean, I liked you when you were a total pisshead, so it's not like I've set the bar very high for you to improve.'

'You should. You deserve a very high bar.'

'Oh.' Duo, quite uncharacteristically, blushed at the compliment. 'Just so you know, I'm not like that. If I was with someone, I wouldn't flirt with anyone else.' A bit of him, just a tiny part, was rather hurt that Heero had ever believed that of him. 'So, I get a high bar?'

Heero laughed, a sound that was all for Duo. 'Yes.'

OK, he wasn't exactly the universe's most talky guy. Still, Duo had known that. There probably were never going to be flowery speeches. It didn't matter. It wasn't like they were English students, and Duo was more than used to filling in conversational gaps.

'So. I don't really have a plan for this evening. I thought we could drive 'round a bit and then maybe have a picnic on the steps of the National Gallery – I've got a basket all packed – and then climb over the railings into Merrion Square and read all the Oscar Wilde quotes.'

'That sounds like a plan, actually.'

'Yeah. I suppose.'

They were both silent as Shinigami trotted across O'Connell Bridge, heading past Trinity, lit by moonlight. Heero was still holding his hand, though, and he'd edged just a little bit closer on the seat.

'That's where I saw you first.' Duo pointed to the archway into the main courtyard. 'I knew you were a student 'cause you had a tonne of books and you looked kind of lost. I was going to go and talk to you, and then Wufei turned up.'

'The first time I saw you,' Heero said quietly, 'was that meeting in Professor Noin's office. You came rushing in, about thirty seconds before we were due to meet her, and I thought..'

'What? That I was the most unpunctual guy you'd ever met?'

'No, actually. That wasn't what I thought. Not at all.'

'Oh.' Right. Compliments from Heero, then, were apparently always going to be rather oblique.

'You're blushing again.' Heero pulled his hand free to brush against Duo's burning cheek.

'Yeah. I'm not used to compliments. Even kind of obscure ones.'

'Hn.' He tangled their fingers together again.

'You're doing pretty well, for a guy who claims he's nervous about all this.

'I want to,' Heero said, very low, sounding terribly vulnerable.

Duo swallowed. 'You really…you liked me all this time?'

'Yes.'

Shinigami was an intelligent horse who knew the usual tourist route. He skirted the walls of Trinity College and stopped outside the National Gallery because it was where his drivers normally gave him a breather and gave his passengers a chance to take photos.

When Duo finally lifted his mouth from Heero's, neither of them could remember how they'd got there.

FINISHED (ish) Maybe...


End file.
